Only Twenty-Two
by MiniCinnamon99
Summary: I'm trying to decide if this little one-shot belongs here in the Captain America category, or the Avengers category. Can you tell me in a review? Anyway, it's a little blurb about how my OC and her kids are dealing with Steve's nightmares. Yeah...it's sad and a little angst-y but it's my favourite piece of writing I've done to date. Whether you like it or not is a different story.


So I have struck again. More like struck out. Whichever. I came up with another little one-shot but it's nothing like Natasha's Abuse. It's a lot more sad, and a lot more…I wanna say angst-y but not really. (It's also a lot shorter)

Anyway, I don't own Steve's character or the Avengers, or Captain America or anything like that.

Enjoy.

* * *

It took her a moment to register what was happening but she quickly identified Steve's ragged and choking breaths.

With a soft curse she slowly turned over, so as not to startle him. (That was an experience not worth repeating.)

When she finally got turned over, Steve was already throwing the constricting sheets off of him and practically running from their bedroom.

With a soft sigh she got up and went after him. Because if she left him alone, only god knows, what kind of mental torture he'd force upon himself.

In her condition, it took her a good five minutes to get where he probably travelled to in thirty seconds, but it was just enough time to have him gather himself. His breathing was strong and steady again and she visibly relaxed. But then his breathing became hitch-y again.

"Steve honey?" she called timidly, "You okay?"

He tensed but she could only just see it as he stood by the window in the dark.

"I was just asking, because I was cold and was wondering when you'd be willing to come back to bed."

Her heart ached as she watched him take just one last shuddering breath and bottle everything up before he turned around.

"Yeah…I'm sorry to wake you Lilly."

"It's okay. I know you always make time for nightly visits from Peggy, and your war buddies, and Bucky, and occasionally the Chitauri."

Steve froze again as he made his way toward her.

"Gonna start lying to me now Steve?"

"Delilah," he sighed, "I know I'm sorry it's just…it's Peggy, it's the war, it's you, it's then, it's now…"

"It's everything," she summarized. Because that really was the only way to describe it.

"…Yeah," he finished lamely, "And I just can't seem…" his voice hitched again and he growled in frustration before turning and striding toward the kitchen. She was always impressed with how he could command and be strong enough for the entire country. He was so young and with everything he had been through…it just seemed impossible.

And the sun went down…and it seemed a little more possible.

Because Steve was only Twenty-two. And at night it showed.

"Steve," she called after him, "I can't get back to bed. You wanna join me?"

She didn't get a verbal response but it was only a moment before he came timidly back around the corner with a glass of water in his hand.

She didn't say anything as he downed the water and set the glass down. She was silent as he picked her up and carried her bridal style, back to the bedroom. She was refused to say anything about the tears on his face when he put her down too, until he got in beside her.

He was originally facing away from her but she quickly swung her leg over him and pulled him down so that he was on his back.

And there she saw his anguish and worry and sadness and despair and terror and every other horrible thing that Steve should never had had to feel.

He was only twenty-two. He was supposed to be carefree and raising hell, not nightmare ridden and raising a family.

Because he was only twenty-two.

And this is where she saw Steve and Captain America separate. Tomorrow she was making sure Steve took his day off and got some real R&amp;R.

But tonight she was here for him. And all his nightmares.

So she snuggled up to him, maneuvering around her small (but growing) belly and her injured knee. She put her head in the crook of his neck and felt him bury his nose in her hair. His arms snaked around her as she settled on top of his large frame.

And it wasn't long before she was clinging to him, seemingly holding him together while he sobbed and sobbed and sobbed and quietly fell apart.

And poor Steve was only twenty-two.

"Mommy?" Delilah's eyes snapped open and with a small shift she could see her four year old standing there looking lost.

But she was only twenty so figure that one out.

"Hey baby. Did we wake you up, honey?"

"Yeah. I heard Daddy run the tap."

"Alright sweetie, it's okay. Do you wanna climb in, or are you going back to bed?"

Little Marcia was very perceptive and knew what one of her mother's dismissals sounded like. It didn't happen often but on nights like this, that she still didn't quite understand, Marcia knew it was for the best if she just listened.

"Can I stay?"

Delilah sighed, "As long as you go right to sleep. On your dad's side."

With a small nod, Marcia hopped in beside her dad and snuggled close to him, not once saying a word about his crying or that he refused to let go of mommy and help her up like he usually does.

Marcia was a very smart little girl and she had seen nights like this before. It's not as uncommon as it should be.

And she knew her dad did bad things to bad people sometimes so that he could keep her safe. And mommy had explained that the things he did sometimes didn't leave him the same. And she maybe didn't understand as well as she will one day but she got enough of it.

And maybe Delilah had told her too much but it had been something that had deeply confused her when Steve first moved in, and like the good mother she was Delilah made sure she understood what she wanted to know left out the things that could be discovered at a later date.

Because Delilah was wise beyond her years. And Steve was scarred way beyond his. And somehow that made Marcia the safest little girl in the world.

She had heard those cranky old women scold her mommy and daddy for having kids so young but they didn't know that if they didn't, they might never get to watch their kids grow up. Marcia did. She knew her mommy was part of keeping the world safe and daddy worked with heroes. And sometimes it was scary that they wouldn't come home, but she knew that's why she was the safest little girl in the world.

She understood, and she feared what she knew so she would give her little life to hang on to what she had. Maybe not so healthy for a little girl but it was to be expected for a little girl with parents as young as hers.

If they were expected to grow up, she had to as well.

Because she was four, and they were only twenty and twenty-two.

And she remembered a song she had heard and her mommy had sang to it.

It went like:

_It feels like a perfect night_

_To dress up like hipsters_

_And make fun of our exes_

_(Ah-Oh, Ah-Oh)_

_It feels like a perfect night_

_For breakfast at midnight_

_To fall in love with strangers…_

Her mommy and daddy didn't have time for such things. And that was sad but it was her life. And her parents life. And they could grow up together. *Sigh*…_They're only twenty-two_.


End file.
